Thursday, October 10, 2013

Simon & Schuster acquires new graphic novel from New York Times bestselling author Jeff Lemire

New York, NY, Toronto, Ontario—October 10, 2013—Jeff Lemire, the award-winning,
New York Times–bestselling author of Essex County and The Underwater Welder, will publish
Roughneck, a new graphic novel, with Simon & Schuster and Simon & Schuster Canada, it was announced today. This
literarygraphic
novel follows the story of a former hockey player forced to face his
demons and reconnect with his Cree heritage when his troubled sister
comes running home to the remote northern town where he now lives.
Roughneck will be
published in 2015.

Derek
is a former hockey tough guy whose quick rise to the NHL was cut short
when a brutal on-ice incident left him banned from professional hockey
for life. Now, four years later, Derek has returned
to Black River, his hometown in Northern Ontario, not far from the
Moose Cree First Nation, where his mother grew up. Derek’s slide into
alcoholism and depression is interrupted when his long-lost sister,
Annie, returns home trailing a violent ex-boyfriend.
Together, the two escape to the woods, where they struggle to reconnect with
the traditions of their Cree ancestors in order to escape their past and
gain redemption.

Brit Hvide of Simon & Schuster acquired world English rights from Charlie Olsen of Inkwell Management.

Ms. Hvide commented, “We’re absolutely honoured to be publishing
Roughneck. It’s a story about cycles—the way patterns, memories,
and people return to us, again and again, whether we want them to or
not. Jeff is one of those unique storytellers whose books speak to
readers across all genres, and we think that Roughneck
will be his finest work yet.”

Kevin
Hanson, Publisher of Simon & Schuster Canada, commented, “We are
thrilled to add Jeff to our emerging list. His graphic novels are
inspiringly original and explore ideas that are deeply
Canadian.”

Jeff Lemire is the New York Times-bestselling creator of the acclaimed graphic novels
Sweet Tooth, Essex County, and The Underwater Welder and the sci-fi love story
Trillium. Jeff is also a prominent writer for DC Comics, where he currently writes the monthly adventures of
Green Arrow and Justice League of America. He has also written the monthly adventures of
Superboy, Animal Man, and The Atom, among many
others. In 2008 and 2013, Jeff won the Shuster Award for Best Canadian
Cartoonist. He has also received The Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging
Talent and the American Library Association’s
prestigious Alex Award, recognizing books for adults with specific teen
appeal. He has also been nominated for 7 Eisner awards, 7 Harvey
Awards, and 8 Shuster Awards. In 2010,
Essex County was named as one of the five Essential Canadian
Novels of the Decade by the CBC. He currently lives and works in Toronto
with his wife and son.